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Published on: March 8, 2017
Use of the medicinal leech in the treatment of ear diseases
K G Seleznev1, E A Shchetinina, N P Trophimenko
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, State Medical Institute, Donetsk, USSR.
Abstract:
Medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) and the native secretion of their salivary glands diluted with saline (5 times) were successfully used for the treatment of some ear diseases: tinnitus caused by inner-ear affections, acute external otitis and chronic otitis media. The effect of diluted leech saliva injected into the region of the mastoid process by microelectrophoresis was 25-30% lower than that of the medicinal leeches.
